nimo956

I'm planning a trip to Zion and Bryce at the beginning of September. The purpose is mainly for hiking and photography. I'll be flying into and out of Las Vegas.

I started a bit late, but managed to get 3 nights in Zion (12th - 15th) and two nights in Bryce (15th - 17th). I'm unable to adjust the number of nights in Zion, but Bryce is flexible.

The other day, I was able to book one night at the Grand Canyon North Rim (8th - 9th).

Does it make sense to include the Grand Canyon on this trip? I feel like it's a lot of driving from Las Vegas to GCNR to only stay one night and then leave for Bryce in the morning?

I am able to move my Bryce reservation to the 9th - 12th. Is 3 nights too many in Bryce? I can also spend one day in the Grand Escalante Staircase, or use that extra night in Page at Antelope Canyon.

Should I just keep to my original plan of Zion and Bryce only? I enjoy spending more time in fewer places rather than driving all over the place.

J62

I could (and have) spent an entire week in the Zion area - most of it in the park, but also road & mountain bike riding outside.

I don't think you need 3 nights at Bryce. You can see the main sights in 1.5-2 days. One day hiking among the hoodoos, and another 1/2 day to visit some of the overlooks along the rim.

With an extra day at Bryce you could add a long hike in the wilderness area of the canyon. Perfect if you like solitude, but still similar terrain among the hoodoos, so not a top priority in my book if you are time limited.

Don't rule out being able to change dates at Zion - there are always hotel cancellations as travel dates get closer.

I can rattle off at least 4 great 1/2 to full day hikes at Zion. Obs point, scouts lookout/angel's landing, and onward to the west rim, and the Narrows., plus additional time exploring the valley, east side of the park, etc.

I too like to stay put. GC north rim is not that far out of the way so it's a reasonable thing to consider. I'd go for it....

Myer

There are several very worthy sights to the east of Bryce Canyon.

Willis Creek slot canyon is just south of the town of Cannonville (about 20 minutes from the Bryce entrance)

Devil's Garden in Escalente is about 1 hour east of Cannonville.

And the trail head for Lower Calf Creek Falls is about 45 minutes from Devil's Garden.

Is you want to see photos of these places you can Google them or look at my photos at: www.travelwalks.com

I've been in the area several times. Once I went to these sights on the way west to Bryce Canyon. Another time we slept over in the town of Escalente.

Personally, I would skip GC (I'm not a fan of GC) and go to Page but it's a 2.5 hour drive from Zion. Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon are great sights. You want to visit these sights early in the afternoon.

MichelleY

I would not skip the Grand Canyon.

sharondi

If you've never been to the Grand Canyon, then you should spend a night there. While the views at the North Rim aren't quite as dramatic as the South Rim, the north is much less crowded and quiet in the evenings when only the very limited number of visitors with overnight rooms/cabins are there.

1 night/2 days is enough to see Bryce - its a small but stunningly beautiful park. You should definitely hike in the canyon - lots of great day hikes. Its so magical walking amongst the hoodoos. Get an early start to avoid heat and crowds. Be sure to walk the rim and visit lots of overlooks - you get some very different views from different areas of the rim.

A few days/nights at Zion is good. I love the park but it does get very crowded. There are some great hikes in Zion but the crowds of people hiking up to Scouts/Angels Landing takes a bit of the fun out of it for me. I prefer hiking in other parks but I do love Zion - it is truly spectacular. Always enjoy the short Canyon Overlook hike - trailhead is located just outside of the east entrance to the tunnel.

We haven't visited Antelope Canyon because quite frankly it is such a mass of people being hauled in there - just doesn't look like fun to me. And Lake Powell holds little appeal to us. But there are so many amazing things to see if you travel east out of Bryce on Scenic Route 12. As Myer mentioned above, Devils Garden, Calf Creek Falls, and Capitol Reef National Park are just a few of the many incredible sites along the way. Not sure how many days you have in total, but I'd suggest skipping the North Rim and Page and spend a couple of days exploring along route 12 with time in Zion and Bryce. You will love it all!

MidwestHiker

>>I feel like it's a lot of driving from Las Vegas to GCNR to only stay one night and then leave for Bryce in the morning?

jayne1973

I say go for the North Rim while you are up there because it is kind of "out of the way" site. We just had one night there in some kind of cabin and it was really peaceful and pretty.

RVvagabond

Since you have only one month, I suggest buying some books. This is my standard list, updated as required
There are several books that truly address the Maze, Moab and other area that I use:

1. Hiking (serious): Books by Michael R. Kelsey. We have his entire collection. http://kelseyguidebooks.com/
2. Hiking (family): Wow Utah Canyon Country -
3. Backroad 4-wheel driving: Canyonland National Park Favorite Jeep Roads and Hiking Trails. White Rim Trail (road) is the premier scenic area in Island In The Sky. This book has an excellent description of that 110 mile road.
4. Touring guide focusing exclusively on Utah Parks for driving, hiking and Mountain Biking: Utah Parks Driving, Hiking and Mountain Biking in Kindle and paper back format. This book gives a life-saving mile-by-mile driving guide.
5. Primarily a driving touring guide covering all of Arizona: Fodor's Arizona & the Grand Canyon 2016 (Full-color Travel Guide)
6. As above, but for Utah: Fodor's Utah: with Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Capitol Reef & Canyonlands National Parks (Travel Guide)

All above on Amazon that can be purchased for less than the price of one nights lodging in Moab.

Vaga